BOOK   VI.
 

VI. I.

The Athe¬
nians, ig¬
norant of
the size and
resources of
the island,
determine
to send a
great expe¬
dition to
Sicily.
 

2.

Thucydides
describes
the races by
which the
island was
inhabited.

1.  The
mythical
Cyclopes
and Lae-
strygones.

2.  The
Sicanians
from Spain
said to be
autoch¬
thons.

3.   Some
Trojans,
and 4. some
Phocians,
 

During the same winter the Athenians conceived a B.C. 416.
desire of sending another expedition to Sicily, larger
than that commanded by Laches and Eurymedon*.
They hoped to conquer the island. Of its great size and
numerous population, barbarian as well as Hellenic,
most of them knew nothing, and they never reflected
that they were entering on a struggle almost as arduous
as the Peloponnesian War. The voyage In a merchant-
vessel round Sicily takes up nearly eight days, and this
great island is all but a part of the mainland, being
divided from it by a sea not much more than two miles
In width.

I will now describe the original settlement of Sicily,
and enumerate the nations which it contained. Oldest
of all were (i) the Cyclopes and Laestrygones, who are
said to have dwelt in a district of the island; but who
they were, whence they came, or whither they went, I
cannot tell. We must be content with the legends of
the poets, and every one must be left to form his own
opinion. (2) The Sicanians appear to have succeeded
these early races, although according to their own ac¬
count they were still older; for they profess to have
been children of the soil. But the fact Is that they were
Iberians, and were driven from the river SIcanus in
Iberia by the Ligurians.    Sicily, which was originally

* Cp. iii. 115.